Hendricks County Commissioners approved changes to the county’s voting precincts and election districts for the county council at a meeting earlier this week.

The Hendricks County Flyer reported that four voting precincts were added, to make the total 103. All splits have also been eliminated for now.

Every voter affected by the changes will receive a mailed postcard about it. No one has to re-register to vote. The adjustments were made because of population changes, town boundaries, and legislative districts.

Each new voting precinct costs about $8,000, mostly in equipment. Hendricks County did receive a grant about a year ago that covers the cost for the four new districts, which will be in effect for the May primary.

Election districts for the commissioners were unchanged because they aren’t governed by population growth.

County council districts are, however, required to be more balanced by voter population. Washington Township, in particular, has gotten so crowded that everyone living there west of State Road 267 will vote in district four, currently represented by Myron Anderson. Also, two precincts in Lincoln Township are moving into district one.

These boundaries may not matter soon, if vote centers are implemented as many state officials hope. The Indiana General Assembly approved legislation at the beginning of 2011 allowing for

centralized vote centers in place of neighborhood polling precincts, the idea of which is to make it more convenient for voters to cast ballots and save tax dollars by operating fewer polling places.

Hendricks County utilized “vote zones” in this year’s primary election. The difference between that and a vote center is that residents still had to vote where they’re registered, something vote centers are expected to do away with.

In other business, commissioners approved repealing the county’s ordinance on possession of deadly weapons to adhere to the state’s new law.